The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-17
BUFFALO BILLS EXPERIENCES,
Carrying Important Dispatches-A Long
Ride In q Country Lined with IndiaSss

l Carrying Important Dispatches-A Long
| Ride In q Country Lined with Iediasss
| On returning from long ride, in which
| had been much harassed by the Indians,
| / was one night accosted by Curtis, the
chief Of the scouts, who was IN difficulty.
| The general was anxious to send some is
patches to General Sheridan at Fort Hays
some eighty miles off. The scouts avail
| able did not freeze onto the Job. They
| urged that they were not sufficiently well
| acquainted with the country to 60 by
night. The dispatch was important, so
| Curtis came to me and asked me If was
not too tired 10 volunteer: 1t was rather
.tickelish piece OF work. The whole
country was lined by Indians. 1t was a
| dark night and a storm was threatening.
However, the dispatches had to be sent Off,
and so I assented, bargaining only that /
should be provided with the best mount
| in the fort. This was readily assented to-
the ecouts took a fond farewell of me, and
with their wishes for success ringing in my
| ears, 1 set out on my long ride.
The night was dark as pitch, but this
gave me all the better chance OF escaping
the Indians. Ny greatest danger was lest
my horse should stumble IN hole and
run away, leaving me on the prairie. To
prevent such a catastrophe tied one end
| OF my raw hide lariat to the bride, and the
other to my belt, wise precaution, for
| within few miles my horse fell twice in
prairie dogs holes, and got away before I
could get hold of the bride, but when he
got to the length OF the lariat he discovered
that he was picketed to Bison Bill, which
considerably abated MS playfulness. In
| lis way / proceeded through the night,
al d reached Walnut creek. twenty-five
miles out In good time. 1t was here that
| / met with my first adventure. Going
slowly through the darkness l suddenly
| found myself in the midst of a number of
horses, which, becoming frightened, speed
| ily moved off in all directions l knew at
once that l was near Indians, so without
waiting to apologize, 1 cleared out as
| quickly as possible. Just as thought my
| self clear, a dog barked a few yards away,
| and then l heard some redskins talking.
| They did more than talk, too. They
mounted their mustangs and gave chase. L
urged my horse to fall speed and succeeded
in getting away without loss of life.
continued my way for several miles in
| q straight course, and pushed on toward
Smoky Hill river. l reached this point
| soon after 3 O'Clock in the morning, and
then pushing northward / struck the old
| Santa Fe trail ten miles from Fort Hays,
| Just as day was breaking. Arrived at the
| post soon after revielle. l made straight
| for Gen. Sheridan's headquarters, and pre-
! sented my dispatches in person. l was
most cordially received by the general,
| and, having taken food aud seen that my
horse was we'll cared for, thought would
| proceed 10 take little rest. 1t was, how
| ever, not to be, for l was suddenly sent for
by the general, who wished to see me. AS
| approached headquarters I MOTTO
! ed number of scouts grouped
together, and evidently engaged in discus
sing something important, and | soon
learned what this was Gen. Sheridan de-
sired to send an important dispatch to Fort
| Dodge, q distance of nIpety.fve miles.
Volunteers were requested. but none re-
sponded. The general told me this and
what could do?
"GeneraI," sail, ''if there is no one
ready to volunteer, I'll carry your dispatch
| es myself"
The general expressed himself greatly
pleased at my offer, but at the same tin
said that he had not thought of asking me
| to undertake the duty, as l had been fully
hardworked already. But it was very i'm.
portant that the dispatches should go.
"If you don't get courier by o'clock
this afternoon, I'll do the business" | re-
sponded; but / must have fresh horse,
and meantime will take a little rest" 1t
was not much rest that / got, but punctual-
" at o'clock announced myself ready,
| and, mounting q fresh horse, started on
the road. I crossed Smoky Hill river at
dark, and it was just daylight as 1 rode up
| to Sam Log crossing on the Pawnee fork,
where q company Of colored cavalry were
posted under Major Cox. Here l got a
fresh horse, and, continuing my lonely
ride, covered the remaining twenty-five
miles TO Fort Dodge and arrived soon aft
o'clock without having seen single In.
dian.
Having delivered my dispa' ches and
| rested an hour / was informed that the
commander wished to send some dispatches
to Fort Larned, my own post. l, OF course,
readily undertook to carry these, and my
| offer was gladly accepted by the General,
provided thought could stand the trip
after my recent fatigue"
"All / want is fresh horse, sir" said.
Here was the difficulty. There was not
such q thing as a decent horse available,
the only animals to be had being govern
ment mules, of which there was large
choice. 1 made no difficulty about this.
"Trot out your mule" / said, "and am
ready now"
The mule was rapidly forthcoming, and
at dark ] started once mote on the road for
Fort Larnei, and procee ded without inter
ruption to Coon creek, thirty miles from
Fort Dodge.
Here / dismounted and led my mule to q
pool to give him some water. / also stood
myself drink, using my hat for dipper,
and while engaged in procuring this re-
freshment my mule suddenly jerked of
| away OOWh w bhO SASCA' AAAS -
IL flashed across my mind that in the hurry
of departure 1 had omitted to make my
lariat fast to him, and that he was at large
followed him gently, in the hope oil
getting hold of his bride, ana that he
would perchance stop. He did not. he
made straight for the wagon road, but In
stead of making for Fort Dodge, as 1 ex.
pected be would, he turned toward Fort
Larned, and logged merrily along with
most happy and unconscious air. Several
times succeeded in getting just up to
him, when he would put on squirt and &c
ahead easy, Stacking down as soon as
gave mp chase. L was sorely tempted tc
shoot him with my gun, which forum
ately had in my hand, but the report
would have probably brought the Indian:
down on me, and as he was, besides. com
pspy for me- restrained. And thus th'
mule marched on, and followed on too
| -cursiDg.
From Coon creek to Fort Larned is thir
ty-five miles, and we-that Is, the mule
and myself-made pretty good time. There
was nothing to hold the mule, and l wa
trying hard to catch him, which urged hin
on. In addition to the excitement of thii
pedestrian competition had the knowl
edge that might any moment be pounce(
on by Indians and have my hair lifted.